The semi-weekly fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-09-20

the surface, while those which are less
so, grow deeper in the soil. 1t follows
that killing up potatoes is something of
protection against rot.
A strong argument against dishorning
is that cattle. deprived of their natural
weapons of defence, would be at the
mercy of dogs even as sheep are at pres
ent. II is easy to answer: Destroy the
dogs" but not so easy to destroy them.
AS the winds often throw melon vines
out of place it would be best to allow a
few weeds or punches of grass to remain
In among the vines. but not at the base,
as the runners would throw out tendrils,
connect with the weeds and fasten them
selves securely in place.
Tomato vines will endure quite an
amount of cutting and trimming, and
often renew themselves when nearly
dead. If the branches be too thick it
will be of advantage to cut some of them
out from a few vines where a limited
amount Of early fruit shall be desired.
Immediately after a rain, or as soon as
the ground will permit, is the proper
time to cultivate the soil, as the grass will
then be more easily destroyed by the suns
rays when thrown up, while the stirring
of the soil for a few inches Will prevent
loss of moisture after dry weather shall
again set in.
Insects must not be forgotten. Tack
pieces of old carpet, bagging or other
coarse fabric around the trunks Of apple
trees. Remove them every ten days and
crush the larva or cocOOns of the ''apple
worm which have hidden under them.
Look for the borer in the peach trees and
with knife and wire cut and probe it
out.
Ducks eggs are we'll adapted to hatch
ing in the incubator, as there is but little
trouble from infertile eggs. They will
stand greater variations of temperature,
especially bearing lower temperature very
we'll, and the young ducks are easy to
raise by hand, often doing much better
so than when allowed to run with hen
or with the old duck.
The smaller the weeds, the easier they
are killed. A plant is just as much
weed when just in the seed leaf as if 1t
were large enough to be grubbed up. At
this early age, slight disturbance will
kill the sturdiest weed. Use q steel rake
with long teeth, keep the teeth sharp and
90 over all the grounds occupied with
crops, with an active man at the handle
of the rake, weeds have no chance.
w men O1CnaTu trees are uIOu
there is little risk in giving hogs the run
of the orchard, as they will rarely attack
the trees unless starved to it. An eX-
periend writer in Southern paper says:
~ deem it best to keep hogs or pigs in
the orchard the whole year, except at
gathering time They keep down the
rampant growth of weeds, being total
destrOyers of wild carrots and wild paTs-
nip, the root of which is very poisonous
to COWS, but hogs are very fond of it.
They also rid the orchard of rabbits,
snakes and ground hogs (woodchucks),
and finally, what better way can you find
to distribute their manure"
In some localities the black smut in
corn is often the cause of serious loss. 1t
is worst on land where this crop has been
planted several years in succession, show
ing that the germs live over winter in the
soil where they fall 1t is a fungus hard
to oct rid of where it has fOOthOld.
The ears or stalks affected will be found
early bursting with sap, and as the spores
have not yet ripened SO as to become
easily detached, these diseased specimens
may be removed without much danger Of
spreading the infection. Later in the
season the fungus bursts, and its black
dust is scattered by winds, when it gets
on the stalks and into the manure pile.
The deutzia ought TO be one of the
best known Of all shrubs, but there are
many localities where it is wholly I'M
known 1t has a great many points OF
merit, and not one objection can be
brought up against it. 1t grows well,
blooms with the greatest profusion, is
perfectly hardy, and is so beautiful that
Whoever sees it will be sure to want to
plant it. The best known variety IS ID.
gracillis, with single flowers of the purest
white. borne in clusters of twenty to fifty
at the extremity of each branch, and
each main branch has a score of lesser
branches. The effect of a large specl-
men of this shrub when in full bloom,
standing by itself on the lawn, can be
imagined much better than it can be
described. D. crenata fore-pleno has
double white flowers, and is very beautl-
ful,s but the single variety, spoken of
above, is the finest. This is an excel
lent shrub for cemetery use.
Plant lice on outside vegetation pass
the winter as little dark, oblong eggs,
usually fastened to the buds. With the
warm days of spring these eggs hatch,
and so rapidly do the lice increase that
soon they are counted by millions
Another Characteristic feature of plant
lice is their sudden disappearance. This
welcome radiance is due, Professor a. j.
Cook, entomologist of the Michigan
Agricultural College, states, to insect
enemies of the plant lice. A remedy